Occupy Jersey City took over McIntyre Hall at St. Peter’s College on Wednesday, but this occupation was at the invitation of the Jersey City college.

Occupy Jersey City and the St. Peter’s College Social Justice Program held an all-day teach-in aimed at encouraging students to take on the establishment.

Some 200 students, organizers, and members of the public packed the hall to attend panel discussions on the economic, educational, and environmental “crises” facing the nation.

“We had a good turnout. People came in to discuss the issues,” said Susan Meany, an Occupy Jersey City member. “This event is to inspire students to organize and get involved.”

Meany is also leader of the Occupy Student Debt Campaign, the goal of which is to get students and graduates saddled with college debt to stop making those payments.

Organizers urged students to get involved in the Occupy Wall Street and other movements.

“A lot of people want to get involved to sort out the mess that this country is in,” said the Rev. David X. Stump, the coordinator of Hudson Moveon.org, a panelist at two of the day’s sessions. “There’s a long history of citizen action and of people breaking the law in order to improve the law.”

In the afternoon, participants broke into small groups to discuss subjects ranging from the nature of democracy to the struggle of migrant workers.

“The more people who are attentive the better it will be,” said Nour Abdelhady, 22, a Saint Peter’s political science major. “But I always feel the problems going on in society are going to go on regardless.”